Going Back
by jadenanne7
Summary: A happily married and quite successful Erik receives an invitation from someone he never knew existed.
1. Chapter 1

Just letting you know... I don't own The Phantom of the Opera. If I did, I probably wouldn't share. Read and review, please! Much love.

"Why? I thought I had left all of that behind. I'm happy now, happier than I ever deserved to be. Christine is finally my wife, and in a few months we are going to be blessed with a beautiful little miracle. I don't know why my aunt contacted me or how she even found me. I am pretty sure my mother is dead so there is no reason for me to shuffle my pregnant wife all the way to my childhood home. No, Nadir, just send her a simple no."

Nadir just shook his head. He knew Erik would probably refuse but he had hoped that he would give it a little more consideration. The invitation had been heartfelt and rather hopeful. Since his marriage to Christine and his impending fatherhood, Erik had grown leaps and bounds. He had proven to be compassionate, kind, and generous to a fault. Nadir only hoped that soon Erik would extend some of that kindness to his mother's sister.

Erik was absolutely floored… and suspicious. He did not remember his aunt. She had married and left town when he was a toddler. It was probably his fault. If his mother could not stand him, his aunt had probably loathed him. The only difference was that she could leave. She surely wanted something from him, perhaps money.

Since his marriage to Christine, he had legitimately taken over the opera. Andre and Firmin had handed their shares over willingly, once Erik had flashed his pocketbook and threatened to remove his mask. Once was apparently enough for them, and they left for Australia two days later. Under Erik's brilliant managing and Christine's angelic voice, the Garnier Opera House had flourished. It was bringing in even more money than before. News of The Phantom's success had apparently reached farther than he knew. This woman might not even be his mother's sister. Erik knew he could not hold his temper around a money-hungry woman. No… It would be better not to go.

"Erik? Have you made a decision?"

Erik was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he had not heard his beloved wife enter the room. She was so beautiful in her last months of pregnancy, but at this moment she looked nothing but concerned.

"Yes," Erik responded. "We will not be making the trip. You are too fragile and I am not even sure that this woman is who she says she is. I think it is best that we stay here."

Christine sighed and walked over to the sofa and lowered herself slowly onto it. "I just thought that you would be curious to meet your family."

"Christine, you are my family… you and this baby. The past is gone and I do not wish to relive it." Erik went to his wife and placed his hand on her swollen belly. "I want to focus on the future. Our future."

The hope and love in her husband's eyes made Christine relent almost without a fight. "You are right, my love. We need to focus on the future, and if you are uncomfortable visiting this woman, we won't go."


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own POTO... Much love!

One month after Erik rejected the invitation another one arrived, in the form of a personal letter. Erik refused to touch it, but Christine read it aloud.

Erik,

My dearest nephew, how it pains me to know that you do not wish to see me. All I have ever wanted was to see your face and know for sure that you are indeed my nephew and that you are alive and well. Please allow me to see you. Is one meeting really that much of a burden?

Mme. Magdalene LeRoux

"Wants to see my face, does she?" Eric growled. "She came too late. Twenty years ago she could have seen my face for a euro and there was no chance of me escaping my cage!"

"I'm sure that is not what she meant!" Christine pleaded in this woman's defense, though she hardly knew why. "I do believe she really wants to see you. I ignored the first request but I cannot ignore this. Please, Erik, talk to her once!"

Erik was unrelenting. "I will not allow this woman to humiliate or manipulate me in any way. If she wants to see me she can just keep waiting. We are NOT going!"

"Fine, Erik, fine. Forget extended family. All a baby needs is their mommy and daddy to love them and spoil them and give them attention. An aunt would just be a bother, right Erik?" Christine gave her husband a withering look and walked into the bedroom for a nap.

Christine awoke to a heavy weight on the end of the bed. It was Erik, packing a big suitcase. He looked at her and sighed. "I am not promising anything." Christine just smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks so much for the reviews.. I don't own anything.. Much love!

It was a sullen and nervous Erik that packed his wife and himself into a carriage and made his way to his childhood "home". That prison had never been his home. Home was where Christine was. Christine's constant love and affection could most always make Erik forget his tragic past, but even with his loving wife beside him, Erik could not help but dread the imminent homecoming. His head was filled with memories that had been locked away for many years.

_"Kisses?!" Erik's mother could hardly contain her disgust as she threw the child backwards into the attic. "I can barely stand to look at you, let alone touch my human lips to your demon face!"_

That one had taken Erik years to get over, and it still stung.

_"Why is it that everyone else gets to leave and I have to stay with the little monster?" Marie wailed to Dr. Roullette, her personal physician. "Charles was lucky enough to have died before the brat was even born. Most of my family has moved away to towns that do not know of our tragedy. Why can't I do the same?" _

_ Dr. Roullette placed his hands gently on her shoulders. "Cheer up, darling. The child is deformed enough that he has to have complications with his health. He may only last a few more years, and then you will be free."_

_ Marie fell back onto the couch with a sigh. "Yes. Do not think I haven't considered ending all of our suffering."_

_ No one noticed the little shadow watching from the stair railing._

Even with the shades drawn, Erik could feel the carriage pull up to his childhood house. He closed his eyes and felt Christine put her tiny hand in his and gently squeeze…a tiny reassurance, but a comfort, nonetheless.

As he helped his expectant wife out of the carriage, Erik looked at his old house. The outside had not changed. Erik's heart quickened in his chest. He chided himself for his cowardice. It was only a house. But what went on inside that house….

The couple walked slowly up the stairs. Erik's hands were not cooperating, so Christine reached up and banged the door knocker. Moments later, an older gentleman answered the door. _This is new, _Eric thought. _We never had a butler. _They stepped inside the house. Not much had changed since Erik was a child. In fact, it was quite eerie, like time had stood still, waiting for his return. Erik closed his eyes, wishing he were anywhere else, preferably underneath the opera house, alone with his beautiful Christine, not here, reliving childhood terrors.

"Erik! I can't believe it. You're here!" A soft voice called from up the stairs. Erik opened his eyes and looked upon the woman who was making her way down the steps. _Maman, _Erik thought, his mind reeling from the impact this woman had already made on him. _No, not Maman, she is too short to be Maman. But those eyes and that voice…_

"Oh my precious nephew, you have turned out so well. And I am to be a great-aunt, I presume. That's so wonderful. I am so hoping that I will be around to see them grow…"

"STOP!" Erik exploded. "You didn't want to watch me grow up, so why would you want to see my children?"

"Hush. Calm yourself," Christine sharply spoke up, leaving Erik speechless. "Mme. LeRoux, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Erik's wife, Christine. I thought that maybe since you are Erik's aunt it would be a good idea to meet you and maybe our baby will have family besides Erik and me. Erik is just tired from our long journey. Please forgive him."

"Oh, how silly of me, of course the two of you are tired. Let me show you to your room." Magdalene led them up the stairs to a guest room. "You two get settled now, and I will see you in the dining room at 8."

"Goodnight, Magdalene, and thank you so much!" Christine's cheery voice permeated through the rather dark house. Erik had not spoken a word nor had he looked at his mother's sister. Every time he looked at her eyes or heard her voice he wanted to scream.

"Erik, my love, promise me you will at least attempt to get along with your aunt. I really do think she means well," Christine begged, taking his shaking hands into her small, steady ones.

"I will try. But I must warn you, I may falter."

"I understand, and I will be there if you find you cannot handle it."

Erik smiled. She was such a good wife.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews! I own nothing! Much love!

Eric was sullenly quiet all through the dinner, and even though he could feel Christine's embarrassment practically radiating off of her, he could not bring himself to perk up and behave.

"I cannot believe that my nephew owns an opera house! Of course, it wouldn't have surprised me if you were the star of the shows. Your voice could make the angels weep, even at such a young age."

Eric flinched, remembering the flattering words he had used on Christine when he was trying to draw her to him. It was not as if he hadn't meant them, but now the sentiments just seemed dirty. Christine spoke for him, as she had been doing all evening.

"His voice is truly a gift from God. Erik can soothe my soul with a song, and can certainly calm this little one down." Christine rubbed her stomach indulgently, and gave her husband a pointed look, reminding him of why they had responded to the invitation in the first place.

"Oh I am just over the moon about your little addition to our family. I had always wanted children, but it just never happened for me."

"I'm quite sure I know why. Couldn't have a misshapen little brat running around, could you? Couldn't risk the chance that this hideous face came from my mother's side of the family. Tell me, would you have thrown the attic or simply have been done with it and thrown it in the river? If my mother had any sense that's what she would have done with me. She would have saved herself a lot of heartache and embarrassment, and she would have saved me a life that was barely worth living. Do you know what they do to little demons in the circus? If you want me to, I'll take off my shirt and show you."

Erik completely focused on his aunt, knowing that if he looked at his wife's stricken face he would break down and apologize and he was just not willing to do that until he felt there was something he needed to feel sorry for.

Magdalene hung her head in what Erik could only hope was shame and wiped the tears from her eyes. After a long moment, she started to speak.

"I would never have had that happen to you. You were such a sweet little boy, and all you ever wanted was someone to talk to. I wasn't ashamed of you! I was ashamed of my sister. I never understood why someone who was lucky enough to be able to have a child of her own could treat her own son that way. I tried to keep you away from her, and I tried to stop her when she would go into her rages and beat you until you couldn't stand. I was the one who would clean off your little face when you cried so hard your eyes bled. I rocked you and told you stories of far away places and prayed that your mother would grow up one day. I would never have left you there willingly. Things happened and I had to go. I swore that one day I would come back and get you, but then it was too late. Your mother's doctor sent around a brief letter that you had ran away, and that your mother had taken to her sickbed. I was devastated, you must believe me!"

Much to his own disgust, Erik wanted to believe her, wanted to believe that someone wanted him. But it all seemed too good to be true. Christine was the only one that cared, and one day she would realize that he was damaged beyond repair, and that she and their child would be better without him.

"I would love to believe you, but every memory of my childhood begs to differ. Affection was rather hard to come by in this house; I would have remembered hugs and stories. This was a mistake. My wife and I will be leaving in the morning. I do wish you all the best. Perhaps we will send you an announcement when the baby is born. Come, Christine, we have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Christine followed Erik silently up the stairs, and he fought hard to ignore the quiet sobs coming from the dining room.


End file.
